


On the Last Page

by linksofmemories



Series: The Rory to My Amy [15]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-28
Updated: 2013-01-28
Packaged: 2017-11-27 07:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/659448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linksofmemories/pseuds/linksofmemories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Derek is a preserver. He wants to hold onto everything and make it so it’s okay again. I admire that in more ways anyone could possibly know. And that’s what everything is about these days, isn’t it? Preserving the times so that they won’t get lost in the future? I believe that Derek can do that. I believe that that is what he wants to do.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

No matter how many times she tried shaking it, the pregnancy test just refused to turn negative. It had gotten to the point of her throwing it on the ground and hoping that the force of hitting the tile bathroom floor would magically change it to negative.

Because this was just cruel. She had been told numerous times by her doctor that getting pregnant was going to be an almost impossible feat. And she had been okay with that. But John had come along with his family standards and warm smile and grandmother’s engagement ring and she had been lost.

They had been married for over six years and were finally starting to discuss adoption. John had been so excited about raising a family, but Aria was still scared shitless. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be a terrible mother even though John thought otherwise.

But now here she was, sitting on the toilet in the hall bathroom with a pregnancy test telling her something she never thought possible. Of course she wouldn’t be convinced until she got an official test done, but right there in that moment it was all a little… heavy.

There could be a baby inside of her. A little person in there just waiting to grow and then come out of her and into the world. What kind of person would she and John make? The idea of a little girl or boy was terrifying. She could barely look after herself sometimes, how was she supposed to look after a child?

It was all too much and she could already feel her palms sweating. A baby. An actual baby. She was pregnant. She was pregnant with an actual baby.

Freaking out was allowed, wasn’t it? And who better than to freak out to than to the one person who would force rationality into her mind?

Aria went into the kitchen and dialed a number she knew by heart. The phone picked up before there was even a full ring.

“Hello, this is Denise Golding speaking.”

“Mom, I’m pregnant.”

A pause.

“Mother, I am with child.”

One more pause.

“I’m having a—.”

“This isn’t a funny joke, Aria Abigail.”

“Really? I think it’s hysterical.”

Silence.

“Mom, don’t hang up.”

“Did you get a test done?”

“I took one in the bathroom ten minutes ago.”

“So you don’t know if you’re actually pregnant.”

“Okay, I don’t need a lecture,” Aria sighed. “I’m going to go to the hospital and pee in a cup and they can test it themselves. Tell Dad I said hi.”

She could hear the protests of her mother, but tuned them out as she hung up. Why had she called her again? Oh yeah, rationality. Well she got that all right. She didn’t know for a fact that she was pregnant and she definitely didn’t want to tell John anything and get his hopes up. It was clear that the Sheriff’s position was opening up and he needed to be focused if he was going to get that promotion that he couldn’t stop talking about.

So, she would take an official test first thing in the morning and get the results and then tell John if she was pregnant. If she wasn’t then he’d never have to know and he wouldn’t get his hopes up. And if she was, then, well they were going to have a baby.

Getting rid of all of the evidence probably would have been a good idea though. The next day after going to the hospital she walked into the kitchen to see John sitting at the table, the pregnancy test box sitting in front of him.

“Ar,” he said, looking up at her. “Do you want to tell me something?”

She should have thrown that box into the fireplace.

“Yes,” she nodded, pulling out the chair across from John and sitting down. “And I was going to as soon as you came home from work today.”

“I was going to surprise you on my lunch break.”

“You’re the best.”

“Aria.”

“Okay, my period was late and I took a pregnancy test,” she shrugged.

“And?”

“And what?”

“Well are you pregnant?”

“The test said that I was—.”

His eyes widened at that.

“—And so did my doctor,” she said. “I just got back from the hospital and—oh, please don’t cry.”

John was definitely crying though and no angle she looked at him from made it seem like he wasn’t. His eyes were glistening and he blinked them furiously, trying to laugh it off. She sighed, standing up and making her way around the table to sit on his lap. Aria wrapped her arms around his shoulders and smiled at him.

“Well, it looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“Good,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anyone else.”

Since her pregnancy was such a rare thing her doctor had been extra strict with her. She was on something just shy of bed rest and had to be sitting or lying down all day. Aria had never been that good at taking it easy though. She always wanted to be doing something, so only two weeks into her pregnancy, John brought her home a sketchbook from the new art store in Beacon Hills.

She hadn’t drawn anything in ages and it was a great escape from her boredom. Some pieces were abstract, others still-life, and some just random scenes she had made up in her head. She had gone from a young girl dancing, to a portrait of John from memory, to a little boy. The most detailed one was of a little boy wearing a hoody and smiling at something she didn’t know yet. It was just a cute little drawing, nothing special, but she still tucked it inside of her wallet, always keeping it near.

Other than drawing, being pregnant was a nightmare. Her mother had dragged her to birthing classes and it was literally the most painful thing she had ever sat through. In addition she had stretch marks and swollen feet and throwing up was always fun.

The “happy and glowing” thing was a complete lie and she felt like she should be asking someone for her money back. But then she would be lying in bed with her feet propped up and John would press his cheek against her stomach and just sigh, and okay, maybe it wasn’t all bad.

Genim came into the world on a Saturday morning in April and then promptly left that night since Stiles had taken his place. She and John both loved the nickname even though her mother scowled every time it was said. But Genim was her dad’s name and her son needed his own identity.

So, Stiles it was.

**OoOoOoO**

Stiles was definitely an energetic baby. He was always moving, even in his car seat or highchair, always wanting to be a part of what was going on. Aria was in love with him from the first moment she saw him and all of her fears of being a mother quickly disappeared. John, on the other hand, was ridiculously anxious around Stiles. It was like he was afraid of screwing things up or hurting him. Aria tried to convince him that there was no way he would hurt their baby, but he seemed unsure.

She tried her best to get rid of his insecurities though, showing John that Stiles was their son and that unconditional love was a great thing. Soon, John didn’t want to be parted from him either and there was some days where the three of them just stayed together inside, watching Disney movies and old cartoons.

Parenthood came surprisingly easy to both of them after a while. They took turns changing diapers and waking up in the middle of the night when Stiles woke up. They were a perfect little family and nothing was going to change that. John’s parents never liked her and by extension they weren’t that fond of Stiles either. It all seemed ridiculously unfair, but her parents gave Stiles enough attention for five sets of grandparents.

“He’s going to grow up to be such an intelligent and handsome young man,” Denise said, watching as Stiles crawled under the coffee table to join Denise’s cat.

“Just like his grandpa,” Genim said proudly, wrapping an arm around Denise’s shoulders.

“Whatever you say, dear,” Denise said, rolling her eyes before ducking down under the coffee table to play with Stiles.

Her mother was right though, Stiles was very intelligent. When he started daycare, and later preschool, it was clear that the other kids didn’t understand him. He was a fast talker and used bigger words than any of his peers could understand. His teachers were smitten with him and when John and Aria enrolled him in Kindergarten, they insisted that he skip a grade. Stiles fiercely declined though and Aria knew that he didn’t want to be any more of an outcast that he already was.

Stiles did well for the first few months of school, but then Aria’s father passed away in the fall. Maybe it was sharing the same name, but Stiles and her father had always been close. The funeral was completely quiet except for Stiles at her side sobbing loudly. She knew that all of the parents were giving her judgmental looks, but she didn’t care.

After that Aria and John were banned from calling Stiles by his real name. She used to before, only when she was upset with him or when it just slipped out. A month after the funeral she had tried to talk to him about a bad report card and she called him “Genim” when he wasn’t paying attention. He had then told her that he would never listen to her if she called him that again. She didn’t want to chance it.

Denise moved to France, needing to be somewhere that reminded her nothing of Genim. They still talked on the phone and there were birthday and Christmas card exchanges, but it was clear that visits weren’t going to happen. Soon their world shrunk down to just the three of them and that was okay.

Stiles’ grades kept getting worse though and after a conference with his second grade teacher they were encouraged to take him to the doctor. After an appointment and a long explanation, Stiles was diagnosed with ADHD. The car ride home was quiet until Stiles spoke up.

“Is there something wrong with me?” he asked.

“No, sweetie,” Aria said.

“Then why do I have to take Adderall?”

“It’ll help you focus,” John said.

They didn’t talk about it again and Stiles obediently took his Adderall every day. His grades improved and Stiles was soon at the top of his class. They should have been thrilled, but Stiles’ lack of friends was concerning. He had gotten quite a few behavior remarks from his teachers, but it was always for talking too loud or being disruptive. Aria found herself wanting him to get into trouble because of doing something wrong with a friend. She just wanted him to have someone to talk to, to grow up with, to watch _Star Wars_ with so that she wasn’t subjected to marathoning the movies every weekend.

The third grade made things slightly better. She picked Stiles up in the gym every day, keeping away from the PTA moms and unemployed depressive fathers. It was the first day of third grade and after the swarm of children had cleared, Stiles entered the gym, a huge smile on his face.

“I’m in love!” he announced.

“Really?” she asked, crouching down to his level. “With who?”

“Lydia Martin,” he sighed dreamily. “She’s a month older than me and she has strawberry blonde hair and green eyes and she’s smarter than everyone else in my class combined.”

Aria liked to think that she reacted like every other mother would in this situation. She teased him and ruffled his shaggy hair (that she wanted to take scissors to), but on the inside she was in turmoil. What would she feel when he got married? She could already picture him waiting at the end of the aisle while a strawberry blonde walked down to greet him.

This was a perfectly normal reaction though. Anyone who dared to take her little boy away from her deserved all of her suspicions.

**OoOoOoO**

The rest of the third grade was filled with talk of Lydia Martin and so was the entire summer and then she never heard a peep about her again. Well on occasion she did. “Lydia got the high score on the math quiz, _again_.” “Lydia made fun of my hair, _again_.” “Lydia said that I look like Bambi, _again_.”

Fourth grade was different. She sat on the bleachers, waiting for the kids to come as soon as her watch read 3:30. A woman was sitting on the bleachers a ways away from her, staring anxiously at the doors. She was younger than Aria and was dressed in nurse scrubs, either coming off of a shift or about to go on one.

“First day?” Aria asked.

The woman looked at her and then nodded. “Yeah, he’s in the fourth grade, but it’s his first day at this school. We just moved to town.”

“Welcome to Beacon Hills,” Aria said. “I’m Aria Stilinski. My son’s in the fourth grade too.”

“Melissa Mc—Delgado.”

Divorcee. That must have been hard on the kid.

“My oldest son turns 16 in November, so he’ll be taking Scott to and from school then,” Melissa said, standing up and making her way toward Aria on the bleachers. “It’ll be nice to get off the nightshift.”

Supporting two kids by herself and being as young as she was? Aria was impressed.

The kids came barreling out of the doors then. Melissa stood up on the bleachers, craning her neck to see if her son came rushing in. Apparently he didn’t though because the swarm had dissipated and Melissa looked beyond worried. Her face then broke out into one of relief as Stiles and another boy walked into the gym together.

“Is that him?” Aria asked, gesturing toward the boy with dark hair and tan skin.

“That’s him,” Melissa said, walking down the bleachers.

Aria joined her on the gym floor, smiling as she watched Stiles talking to Melissa’s son. They were both animated and smiling and laughing and she felt like she had been waiting her entire life for this. Her son had a friend and she felt as happy as he looked.

“Is that your son?” Melissa asked.

“Yeah, that’s my Stiles,” she nodded.

“Hey Mom,” Stiles greeted, smiling up at her. “This is Scott.”

“Hi,” Scott said, giving a small wave to Aria before turning to Melissa. “Do you have to go to work again tonight?”

“Yeah,” Melissa nodded. “I’m leaving as soon as I drop you off at home. Derek’s going to make you dinner.”

Scott scrunched his face up at that and Aria got the feeling that he didn’t get along well with his brother.

“Hey, so can I go to Scott’s tomorrow after school?” Stiles asked.

“Sure,” Aria shrugged. “If it’s all right with Scott’s mom.”

Melissa looked hesitant, looking from Scott’s pleading face to Stiles’ matching one. “I’m working late again tomorrow and I usually sleep before heading into work and Derek, my oldest, would be the one watching them.”

“That’s fine,” Aria shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

“Yeah and we’ll just be playing XBOX or watching movies or something,” Scott added in. “Nothing to worry about.”

After a bit more prodding, Melissa finally agreed and Aria said that she would pick Stiles up at eight the next night.

It was nice not having to worry about picking Stiles up from school. She went to the store, cleaned up the house in a fit of boredom (or temporary insanity), and then lounged on the couch while watching old reruns. Soon it was 7:45 and she practically leaped off of the couch, heading out to pick up Stiles.

The McHale house wasn’t that long of a drive so she got there five minutes early. She had never dropped Stiles off at anyone’s house before, so she felt like she had a right to be anxious.

Melissa’s oldest son, Derek, answered the door. He was tall and dark and brooding and she almost laughed because he was kind of a walking cliché.

“Hi, I’m Stiles’ mom,” she greeted.

“I’m Derek,” he said, standing awkwardly in the doorway. “Come on in.”

Definitely not a conversationalist.

She entered the home, looking around without any real interest as Derek walked into the house. After about a minute Derek came back into the foyer, hands shoved into his pockets.

“They have to get to a save point in their game.”

“Oh,” she nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”

More silence.

“So, you’re a sophomore.”

“Yeah.”

“Fun. What classes are you taking?

“Uh, Algebra 2, Chemistry, World History, English, Spanish, and Photography.”

“So you’re interested in photography?”

“It’s just an elective.”

And yet there was more silence.

“What are you planning on majoring in?”

“I’m not sure.”

The silence just would stop.

“So, got a girlfriend?”

“Um, no.”

Thankfully they were saved by the sounds of two boys heading into the foyer. Stiles was grinning happily and so was Scott. It made her heart swell and she was so happy that her son had a friend. After a quick round of goodbyes, Scott was making his way back inside the house. Aria gave one last awkward goodbye to Derek before heading down the porch steps.

Stiles wasn’t behind her though and she looked back to see him standing on the porch, looking at Derek.

“Bye Derek,” Stiles said, scratching the back on his neck.

“Bye Stiles,” Derek said.

Aria recognized the smile Stiles gave him. It was the “I’m so in love with Lydia Martin” smile except this one looked even more intense.

Oh boy.

**OoOoOoO**

She never talked to Stiles about his crush on Derek or mentioned it to John. There was always the possibility of her being wrong or him growing out of it. But if it still persisted she would be fine with it. She didn’t care who her son loved, just as long as he was safe and happy.

And if Derek was who her son wanted to be with, then so be it. After he got his license she actually spent a lot of time with him as they waited in the gym after school to pick up the boys. The small talk had lasted for a while, but soon she was able to unearth an interesting young man. He wanted to be an architect and he was shy but not unkind. There was something about him that just seemed so genuine and she kind of wished that he would be the one to take her Stiles away from her.

Of course she kept those thoughts to herself though, since she was still iffy on the details.

Once she actually found herself becoming worried that Derek had a girlfriend. Laura Hale was three years older than him and Derek talked about her a lot. Aria thought for sure that a romance was there despite Derek’s protests, but after meeting Laura and seeing the way she teased him and slapped him and bossed him around it was clear that it was a sibling-like love.

The McHale family (with Laura in tow) became a constant presence in their lives. It was nice not having it just be the three of them anymore and it felt like being a part of a big family. They had known each other for over a year when Stiles’ crush on Derek was finally spoken about.

It was December and Stiles was in the fifth grade. Aria had just picked him up from the McHale house with Stiles being quiet the entire car ride home. As soon as they entered the house he had headed up to his room, the door slamming loudly behind him.

John was sitting at the kitchen table with an eyebrow raised. “Did he and Scott get into a fight?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Not that I know of.”

“Trouble at school?”

“Maybe?”

“I’ll go talk to him,” John said, beginning to stand up.

“No,” Aria said. “I’ll do it.”

She exited the kitchen and headed upstairs before John could protest. Entering the room after knocking twice, she saw Stiles sitting on his bed looking more upset than she had seen him in a long time.

“Baby?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said. “It’s stupid.”

“No it’s not,” she said, kneeling in front of his bed. “Did you have a bad day at school?”

He shook his head.

“Something happen at Scott’s house?”

Stiles shook his head again.

“Something happen with Derek?”

He looked up at that and his face almost instantly turned into a shade of red. Bingo.

“He has a girlfriend,” Stiles said. “Well, more like woman-friend. She’s old and awful and snarky and mean and—and—I’m so stupid!”

“What?” Aria said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Stiles, no you’re not.”

“Yes I am,” he said. “I got my hopes up and I thought that maybe he could like me back someday but he likes older woman and I’m a younger guy. I’m the opposite of his type and is there something wrong with me?”

She had no idea her heart could be this broken. Her son was practically unraveling in front of her and she didn’t know what to do. She wanted to tell him that everything was going to be all right and that he was perfect, but she couldn’t think of a way to say that that sounded genuine.

“There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Both Aria and Stiles looked at the door to see John standing there. He walked toward them, joining Stiles on the bed.

“You can love whoever you want and be upset about it whenever things go wrong.”

“But I don’t even like girls,” Stiles protested. “Or guys. I just like him and God—what will everyone think when—.”

“Fuck them,” Aria said.

“Aria,” John said, sending her a disapproving look.

She just rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Stiles. “Be your own sheep. You don’t have to stick in the herd.”

There was a beat of silence before John and Stiles burst into laughter.

“‘Be your own sheep’?” Stiles repeated. “Mom, that’s awful!”

“That is pretty bad, Ar,” John agreed.

She pretended mock hurt, but on the inside she was happy. At least she could still make him smile when he needed it most.

**OoOoOoO**

It was the summer before Stiles started the sixth grade and Derek started his senior year. She was over at the McHale house talking with Melissa and just enjoying being in her friend’s company. Scott and Stiles were playing (more like attempting to play) lacrosse in the backyard and Derek had just gotten back home from a shift at the art store.

Derek’s girlfriend had apparently broken his heart a day after Stiles’ breakdown and Stiles’ mood improved after that. The rest of the semester had gone by smoothly before Melissa revealed that Derek had gotten a tattoo the last week of school and had taken Stiles to get it with him. Aria wasn’t that upset, but Melissa rightfully was.

He was grounded and acting a little grumpy, but it was still the same Derek. She greeted him as he walked into the kitchen and he smiled back, kissing the top of Melissa’s head. Melissa rolled her eyes. Aria tried not to laugh.

“So, how’s the summer been?” she asked.

“Fine,” he shrugged.

“Why don’t you help Scott and Stiles out with lacrosse?” Melissa suggested. “I don’t want any broken bones.”

Derek gave a heavy sigh before nodding, heading out of the kitchen and to the back of the house.

“He still upset about you grounding him?” Aria asked once she heard the back door close.

“Yeah,” Melissa said. “He brought this on himself though. He turns 18 in November, he could have waited and I wouldn’t have done anything about it.”

Aria wasn’t going to argue with that. They talked for a bit longer before it started to get late. She had to get Stiles home for dinner since it was John’s night to cook. Aria and Melissa headed into the backyard to see Scott sitting on the patio with his inhaler in hand.

“You just have to pace yourself,” Aria heard Melissa tell Scott.

“Yeah, I know,” Scott said.

Stiles and Derek were still in the middle of the backyard though. Derek had taken his shirt off and was sweating while Stiles still had his red hoody on which was drenched in sweat and probably going to stink up the Jeep on the ride home.

But she couldn’t bring herself to think about that though because of the way they were looking at each other.

Her son was sitting in the grass, looking up at Derek with a smile on his face while Derek looked at him with what had to be fondness, the triskelion on his back in plain sight.

It was like Derek was Stiles’ protector, loving him and making sure he was all right and—.

_Oh._

This was going to stay with her for a while.

**OoOoOoO**

Aria picked up Stiles after the first day of sixth grade and took him to the art store. Laura was at the register, looking bored out of her mind until they came in. Her face instantly brightened and she all but threw the magazine she had been reading onto the floor.

“Hey, how are you guys?” she asked, walking out from behind the counter.

“We’re great,” Aria said. “Sketchbooks?”

“Follow me,” Laura said, heading toward the aisles.

Stiles and Aria followed her with Stiles giving her a weird look. “Why are we here?”

“You’ll see,” she said.

They stopped in a back corner of the store and Aria grabbed a sketchbook at random, sitting down on the floor and taking a pen from her purse. Stiles took a seat next to her and Laura sat down on her other side.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” Aria asked, flipping the sketchbook to the first page.

“There’re no customers and Derek will be here soon,” Laura shrugged. “So what are you drawing?”

“Stiles’ future tattoo.”

“Wait, seriously?” Stiles asked.

“Well, you said that Derek is going to take you to get one when you’re 18, and I want to draw the design for you,” Aria said. “Any ideas?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Kinda. I really like Derek’s.”

“A triskelion?”

“But the one with the triangle in the middle instead of the swirls being connected in the center.”

Aria nodded and got to work on a basic triskelion. It wasn’t anything fancy and she hadn’t even colored it in yet, just wanting to back sure that each spiral was the same size and that the lines of the triangle were straight.

“What about this?” Aria asked.

“That looks good, doesn’t it?” Laura said.

“Yeah, it looks _good_ , but I want it to look awesome,” Stiles said. “Not like Derek’s which is so boring.”

“What do I have that’s boring?”

The three of them looked up to see Derek standing there with a raised eyebrow.

“Your tattoo,” Stiles shrugged. “Mom is drawing my future one.”

“Wait, you told your mom about—.”

“—You taking my son to a tattoo parlor and then making him decide that he wanted one too?”

“I didn’t make him decide to get one, Aria, I promise.”

She made sure to give Derek a skeptical look and she could practically feel his anxiety before letting up. “I’m not upset with you, Derek. Do you think I would be drawing the design for him if I was? Besides, I’m happy that he’s telling me in advance instead of letting me find out on a family vacation.”

Derek had the decency to wince at that.

“That was a mistake on my part,” Derek said, sitting down next to Laura and leaning over to get a look at the sketchbook.

Stiles grabbed the sketchbook from Aria before Derek could look though. “You’ll see when I get it done.”

“What? Seven years from now?”

“Yeah,” Aria nodded. “And you’re taking him. I get squeamish around needles. So, I guess I need to buy this sketchbook now, huh?”

“Nah, just rip the page out and but the book back on the shelf,” Laura said with a wave of her hand. “No one will know.”

Derek looked like he was about to protest when Aria shrugged, tucking the sketchbook under her arm. “I’ll buy it. I need a new sketchbook anyway.”

Aria followed Laura to the register while Derek and Stiles continued to sit on the floor.

“You’re kind of the coolest mom ever,” Laura said, scanning the barcode on the sketchbook.

“How so?” Aria asked.

“You’re designing your 11 year-old son’s future tattoo,” Laura said. “Someone should give you a medal.”

Aria laughed at that, shaking her head and getting out cash to pay for the book. “I think all moms should deserve medals.”

“My mom definitely did,” Laura said.

“You miss her?” Aria asked.

“Every day,” Laura nodded. “But it’s gotten better.”

The sad look on Laura’s face made it hard to believe, but she didn’t press the subject. She still thought about her father all the time and knew that it was probably worse for Laura since she was so young and had lost both of her parents.

Laura handed Aria her change and then bagged up the sketchbook. Aria thanked her before heading to the back to get Stiles.

**OoOoOoO**

Time passed and Derek and Stiles grew closer over a British sci-fi show. Aria was thrilled. It meant that she didn’t have to watch the show with him anymore. She was also thrilled because Stiles was just so happy. His crush on Derek was growing more and more every day and it got to the point where she wouldn’t even call it a crush. And Derek was as caring as she had ever seen him.

It was just so nice. She loved knowing that there was someone who was looking out for Stiles and taking care of him. Of course she would always be there to look after him and so would John, but Derek was just so constant. He looked at Stiles like he was the one who put all of the stars and planets in the sky and it was a bit overwhelming.

Derek was probably more than a little oblivious to his own feelings, but it was plain to Aria. They loved each other and she was trying to figure out why she wasn’t freaking out. Derek was so much older than Stiles, but it just felt okay. If someone was willing to look after her son and protect him, then she wanted to let them. And if someday that escalated into something of a not-so innocent nature, then so be it.

She really should get a medal for coolest mom.

John finally got the promotion to Sheriff and they had thrown him a small party at their house. Halfway through Scott and Stiles had disappeared and then Scott had reappeared and Derek was the missing one. She found them in front of the computer, watching an episode of _Doctor Who_. She didn’t make her presence known, just watched from a distance as Stiles talked animatedly and smiled at Derek while Derek just looked at him with that same fondness.

Yeah. She would put her son’s life in his hands.

**OoOoOoO**

Aria didn’t mean putting his life in Derek’s hands so soon though.

John was quiet as he stood behind her, hands gripping her shoulders tightly. The doctor continued to talk about treatment but she couldn’t listen. She couldn’t even begin to focus on what was being said.

_Cancer._

She had cancer.

And she wasn’t even concerned for herself, not really. She was just scared for John and Stiles. They would have to learn how to live without her, fall into their own routines without her help. She wasn’t going to be able to see her son graduate or get married or have children. She wasn’t going to be able to grow old with John.

The car ride home was quiet and she looked over at John who was sitting in the driver’s seat, clenching his fists on the steering wheel. As terrible as the drive was, she didn’t want to get home. Because when she got home she would have to face Stiles and tell him what happened.

Her case was terminal and even with treatment it wouldn’t buy her much time. Stiles started the seventh grade in a week and he was only 12. She probably wouldn’t be able to see him become a teenager.

Stiles was probably going to be asleep when they got home since he slept into the afternoon. He was supposed to go over to Scott’s house later, but she felt like she was going to have to call Melissa and cancel. Aria didn’t want Scott or Derek to know. She knew Scott would start walking eggshells around Stiles and Derek would probably lecture her in getting the best treatment possible. They would find out eventually, but right now she just wanted her small family to know.

John opened her car door for her when they arrived and she rolled her eyes at him. She didn’t need to be treated like she was made out of glass, not yet at least.

They entered the house and heard the TV blaring with gunshots and people yelling. Stiles was playing a video game in the living room, biting his bottom lip as his fingers flew across the controller. John walked up to the TV and turned it off.

“What?” Stiles said, looking from the TV to his father. “Dad, I was kind of in the middle of something.”

“Stiles, we need to tell you something,” John said, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

Aria sat down on Stiles’ other side and watched as his son looked back and forth. “What? I thought mom just went for a check-up.”

“Not exactly,” Aria said, taking Stiles’ hands in hers. “Stiles, honey, I’m—I’m sick.”

“Like a cold?”

“No, no I’m really sick,” she said. “I have cancer.”

“No you don’t.”

“Yes, sweetie, I do.”

John placed a hand on Stiles’ shoulder, but he shrugged it off, his eyes locked on Aria.

“The doctor said that even with treatment, there’s not a good chance—.”

“You’re lying.”

“Stiles, listen to your mot—.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No, I’m not going to listen to her. She’s a liar. She’s lying. You’re not sick, you’re fine.”

God, she hated crying in front of him. “I’m sorry, Stiles. I’m not—.”

Stiles moved forward, wrapping his arms around her and sobbing into her shoulder. She coiled her arms around his back and looked at John who had silent tears streaming down his face.

After a while it became part of their routine. Stiles didn’t tell anyone about it and Melissa was the only McHale who knew. Treatment was boring and she spent hours sitting in a chair with needles stuck in her. She was sick and moody and her doctor wasn’t very enthusiastic whenever test results came back.

She was becoming weaker every day and she knew that she didn’t have much longer.

So, she got to work on her last great masterpiece. Aria had submitted several art pieces to different museums around the country, but this last piece was going to be a gift or sorts. Derek had always talked about visiting New York and she knew that he wanted to visit the Guggenheim. There was no way of knowing if the piece would get into the Guggenheim, but she had to try.

John managed to find a ton of her old sketchbooks and she stumbled across an old sketch. It was of the little boy in the hoodie, the sketch she had drawn while pregnant with Stiles and had tucked it into her wallet. It had gotten crumpled and worn in there though so she had flattened it out and placed it in an old sketchbook.

She looked at it for a while before the blank canvas in front of her. Her mind went back to last summer when the boys were playing in the backyard and Stiles was smiling at Derek and Derek was looking at him with not fondness, but love. It couldn’t be anything but love whether Derek realized it yet or not.

The painting was finished in a month and by then all of her hair had fallen out. Stiles cut off all of his hair and she missed the mop of hair he used to have, but the buzz cut did suit him. She sent the painting off to the Guggenheim and anxiously waited to see if it had gotten accepted.

Derek found out in November. She was hospitalized permanently soon after.

New experimental drugs were available, but she didn’t want to use any of them. They would buy her months, not years and she wanted to be alert in her final days.

“Aria,” John said, sitting by her bedside. “Please just try it.”

“No,” she said. “I don’t want to be some kind of zombie for the rest of my life. I want to be able to see things and feel things to be alive.”

“Don’t do this,” John said. “Don’t be so stubborn.”

“I’m not,” she said.

“Yes, you are,” he protested. “Aria, do this for me. Do this for your son.”

“John—.”

“Please.”

“Just let me go.”

His mouth fell open in surprise before he started to shake his head. It was January and she was so tired. Maybe one more month or a week or even a day. She just wanted release and some hazy experimental drug wasn’t going to give her that.

“Don’t talk like this,” he said.

“Promise me that you’ll be there for Stiles,” she said. “That you’ll take care of him and let him take care of you. Promise me that if you meet someone that you won’t push them away.”

“Meet someone?” he repeated. “Aria, there’s only ever been you.”

“John, just promise me.”

He did.

The letter from the Guggenheim came a week later and the piece was in. They sent a picture along with the letter and it was of the painting hanging on a wall in the modern art section. She tucked it into one of her sketchbooks.

Melissa was one of her constant visitors which she was grateful for. So many nurses were so sympathetic, but Melissa just acted like she wasn’t even sick. They talked about everything that they usually did and laughed and joked and shared stories. Melissa didn’t tell little white lies and was honest and straightforward.

“The way things are going, I’d say soon,” Melissa said, sitting down in the chair next to her bed. “Maybe a week.”

“Huh,” Aria said, leaning back against her pillows. “That is soon.”

“Have you broken down and cried yet?”

“Give me a few more days.”

Melissa just shook her head and reached over to take Aria’s hand. “You’re my best friend.”

“Mutual,” Aria said, squeezing her hand and giving a smile. “You’ll have so much free time. Maybe you’ll get a boyfriend.”

“I have two sons,” Melissa said. “I’ve given up on dating.”

“You know, John’s wonderful.”

Melissa’s eyes widened at that as she moved away from Aria. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“What?” Aria said. “He would take care of you.”

“Oh God,” Melissa groaned. “Shut up, Aria.”

“I’m just saying, that if things go that way, then have at it.”

There were a few more seconds of Melissa looking at her incredulously.

“You have my blessing,” Aria said.

Melissa just rolled her eyes and laughed.

**OoOoOoO**

Aria saw Derek pass by her hospital room and she rolled her eyes.

“Go get him,” she told John who was reading the paper in the chair next to her bed while Stiles slept.

“I’m not a dog, Ar.”

“Oh, just hush and go fetch.”

He let out a soft laugh, leaning forward to kiss her. “I’ll go get coffee while you guys talk.”

A few minutes after John left the door to her room opened and there Derek stood, looking a lot younger than 19.

“There he is,” Aria said.

Derek looked at her and then to Stiles who was curled up at her side, sound asleep. He was turning 13 in April and it killed her that she wouldn’t be able to see him grow up.

“Hi,” Derek greeted, sitting next to her.

“How are you?”

He looked almost pained by the question.

“I’m good.”

“How’s school? Did you get into the program?”

“School’s fine,” Derek said. “I don’t submit my application until the fall semester, so…”

She could guess what he was going to say and appreciated him not finishing the sentence. The conversation was already awkward.

“I’m sure you’ll get in,” she assured, placing a hand over one of his.

Derek’s eyes looked down at her hand before quickly looking away. Stiles stirred next to her and his eyes instantly flickered toward the sleeping boy.

“He talks about you constantly,” she said. “He basically thinks you’re the coolest person ever.”

“Yeah, well, he’s not too bad,” Derek shrugged, eyes still focused on Stiles. “He’s the only one who will watch _Doctor Who_ with me.”

“Sorry about that,” she said. “I tried watching the first episode with him, but people were turning into mannequins and I just don’t get British humor.”

Derek chuckled and she continued to look at Stiles. He was so peaceful but she knew that if he woke up he would be beyond startled by both of them staring at him.

“Take care of him for me.”

There was a long pause and Aria sensed that he was having an inner war before he finally answered.

“I will. I promise.”

“Thank you, Dr. McHale.”

Derek let himself grin a bit at that. “I’m not a doctor.”

“Not a doctor _yet_ , Derek.”

He left after that and as soon as the door closed Stiles shot up next to her.

“‘Take care of him for me’?” Stiles repeated, his nose scrunched up. “Seriously Mom?”

“Oh don’t act like you don’t want him to take care of you,” she teased.

Stiles blushed at that, folding his arms across his chest before letting out a loud yawn.

“Still tired?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

The door to the room opened again and John walked in with a cup of coffee. “I just ran into Derek leaving.”

“He just dropped by,” Aria said. “You should take Stiles home. He’ll sleep so much better in his own bed.”

Stiles looked like he was going to complain, but Aria and John both gave him a fierce glare. He closed his mouth and wrapped his arms around Aria.

“See you tomorrow, Mom,” he said.

“I love you so much,” she said.

“I love you too,” he said, leaning up and kissing her forehead.

She smiled and watched as he and John left the room. As soon as the door closed she got out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write. The architecture program was a bitch to get into and she knew that Derek wasn’t going to get in without a kickass letter of recommendation. She would get John to mail it for her so that it got to the university in time for them to review Derek’s portfolio.

After finishing the letter she folded it up and placed it on her bedside table before closing her eyes. She was tired and wanted to be well rested for a day of seeing Stiles tomorrow.

She could never fool him when she hadn’t gotten a good night of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

He was in the shower for the second time that morning and he just knew that he had a ridiculous smile on his face.

It was kind of weird not being a virgin anymore, but kind of awesome at the same time. It had been with Derek and it had happened _numerous_ times. Stiles couldn’t even properly call it morning anymore since it was now in the afternoon. They were going to spend the entire day inside and Stiles didn’t have any complaints about that.

Besides, it was Derek’s birthday and he was fine with whatever the older man wanted to do.

A part of Stiles felt like he should be mad at Derek. Months ago on his own birthday Derek had forced him to leave and then ran away to New York days later. He had been so angry and upset that part of him wanted to just find someone else to sleep with to rub it in Derek’s face.

But there was no way he could do that. He loved Derek and they had made up at his graduation. There was always going to be a part of him that would be hurt and a little betrayed, but right now he was just happy.

Stiles turned off the shower and pulled a towel around his waist before shaking his head. He missed having a buzz cut sometimes, but the longer hair did suit him better (something that Lydia made her life’s mission to point out to him every day). Stiles exited the bathroom and walked into Derek’s bedroom to see him sitting on the bed wearing sweatpants with a piece of paper in his hands.

“I want to show you something,” Derek said, looking up at him.

“What?” Stiles asked, dropping the towel from his waist and quickly pulling on a pair of pajama pants.

“Aria wrote it.”

He froze at that, standing in front of Derek and then focusing on the paper in his hands.

“She—What?” Stiles said. “First the painting and now this? Do you like hiding things from me?”

“Stiles—.”

“No, no,” Stiles said, shaking his head. “Derek, she was my mom. How long have known about this?”

“I’ve had it for years—.”

“ _Years_?”

“—But I only read it a few months ago,” Derek said, raising his voice.

Derek took one of his hands and gave it a gentle tug. Stiles sighed before sitting down next to Derek on the bed. The letter was placed on his lap and he looked down at the worn and folded up piece of paper.

“I’m sorry,” Derek said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and kissing his temple. “No more secrets from now on, I promise. It’s a letter she wrote to my college to have me accepted into the architecture program. It’s not—It’s not like it’s her big farewell or anything.”

Stiles nodded, taking the letter in his hands and unfolding it before starting to read.

_To whom it may concern,_

_I am writing this letter in hope of convincing you in accepting Derek McHale into the architecture program at this university. First, I would like to say that I graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. I have also submitted a piece to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and several other pieces in museums around the country. I know that this doesn’t exactly make me an expert in architecture, but I am well-qualified in seeing “who has it”._

_I’ve known Derek McHale roughly three years. He’s the older brother of my son’s best friend and I’m also close to his mother. This may seem like a strange way of knowing a person, but I’ve gotten to know him very well throughout the years. He’s had to grow up a lot sooner than most kids his age due to some personal issues, but I feel like he would have grown up like that anyway._

_He is a mature and responsible adult and I have trusted him on numerous occasions to look after my son. This is probably getting too personal for a professional letter, but I’ve been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and I probably won’t make it much longer. I know that he will protect my son and if you can’t trust a mother’s opinion on these things, then I don’t know what you can trust._

_Moving on to Derek’s work, it’s beyond brilliant. I’m assuming you’ve seen his portfolio and since I’m no expert at architecture, I won’t go on for too long about that. But he has a certain way about him, doesn’t he? Most young architects want to make their mark by inventing a new style or a new structure or building something completely innovative and new. Derek wants to improve what’s already here. He wants to make things better and more beautiful. I’ve seen countless sketches of his and they’re always of existing buildings and how he wants to help them rather than tear them down and starting new._

_Derek is a preserver. He wants to hold onto everything and make it so it’s okay again. I admire that in more ways anyone could possibly know. And that’s what everything is about these days, isn’t it? Preserving the times so that they won’t get lost in the future? I believe that Derek can do that. I believe that that is what he wants to do._

_Work ethic-wise, Derek is always prompt and on time. I’m sure you can look this up in your records, but he never misses classes and is always on time. He works at the local art store in Beacon Hills and I’ve seen him working when he was sick. He’s strong and completely capable of keeping up with the workload. Yes, he does have a lot of responsibilities out of the classroom, but I have never seen anyone juggle so many things at once and do it so flawlessly._

_In conclusion, Derek is very different from most people his age. These differences are all positive reasons for you to accept him into your program though. He is an exceptional architect and, as every good architect should be, he is a dedicated artist._

_Thank you for your consideration,  
Aria Stilinski_

He folded it back up, wiping at the corners of his eyes. Derek tightened his hold on his shoulders and Stiles looked at him, saw the concern on his face.

“She was right,” Stiles said.

“About what?” Derek asked.

“You being a preserver,” Stiles said. “I mean sure, you saved this house. But you kind of saved us too. You’re always trying to make sure that we’re going to be okay. You always want us to work out.”

“You do too.”

And yeah, he did, didn’t he?

Stiles leaned toward Derek, pressing their foreheads together. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Derek said.

“Do you think we’re going to be okay?” Stiles asked. “Do you think we’re going to last?”

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “I think we’ll be okay.”

And then he leaned forward, pressing their mouths together.

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! I wrote you guys [a thank you letter for this series on my tumblr](http://erinpond.tumblr.com/thank%20you) and I hope you liked the ending.
> 
> Hopefully you'll stick around for my future stuff! :))


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